{"id":1,"date":"2020-10-08T10:47:47","date_gmt":"2020-10-08T09:47:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hourglass2.test\/academy\/?p=1"},"modified":"2021-09-28T10:29:17","modified_gmt":"2021-09-28T09:29:17","slug":"intermittent-fasting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hourglassfit.com\/academy\/intermittent-fasting\/","title":{"rendered":"Intermittent Fasting: What Is It? Should You Do It?"},"content":{"rendered":"There\u2019s a huge chance that someone you know is using intermittent fasting right now. You\u2019ve probably heard about their weight loss efforts too, or how it\u2019s changing their lifestyle for the better.\r\n\r\nAre we right? Yes, we know we are. We\u2019re not being biased either; IF just seems to be on-trend right now, especially in the weight loss community.\r\n\r\nTo see if it\u2019s really worth the attention it\u2019s getting and if you should try it, we\u2019re going deep into everything Intermittent Fasting. From the facts to the anecdotal, we\u2019ll cover everything you need to know. We\u2019ll also show you how to get started if you\u2019d like to.\r\n\r\nBefore we get into all that, we need to know what everyone is actually raving about, don\u2019t you think? Let\u2019s start right at the beginning \u2013 what even is Intermittent Fasting?\r\n

What is Intermittent Fasting (IF)?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nPut plainly, Intermittent Fasting is an eating pattern. People using IF will not eat for a set time, typically hours or days, and then follow it up with a feeding window.\r\n\r\nWhat Intermittent Fasting isn\u2019t, is a diet plan. Because unlike a diet plan, no foods are restricted or cut back on. In fact, a lot of IFers don\u2019t even count calories. It\u2019s all about when you eat, not what you eat.\r\n\r\nWhen you stop to think about it, fasting is pretty natural for us humans. It\u2019s been part of religion for thousands of years for a start, and is often seen as a necessary, cleansing, and spiritual experience.\r\n\r\nPlus, try to imagine ancient humans too. Those women couldn\u2019t just wake up, click on a pot of coffee, and enjoy a steaming plate of pancakes every Saturday morning. No one simply dashed out of her cave to buy snacks from the grocery store.\r\n\r\nInstead, their bodies adapted to be able to go days without food, never mind miss a meal. And guess what? We\u2019re still rocking the same physical makeup too, albeit with a few cosmetic changes here and there.\r\n\r\nAs you might expect, intermittent fasting isn\u2019t just restricted to one set time frame. Some IF users might only fast for as little as six or eight hours, whereas others might go for a full day or more. We\u2019re going to look at the most popular methods.\r\n

Intermittent Fasting Methods<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n

16\/8 Method<\/span><\/h4>\r\nNew intermittent fasters tend to try this method first because of its simplicity. You simply need to choose eight hours of the day to be an eating window, then fast for the rest. That means not eating or drinking anything with calories in it during that window.\r\n\r\nSo, say you decide you\u2019re going to eat between the hours of 12-8 pm as your feeding window. Once you\u2019ve finished the last bite of supper, you\u2019ll not tuck into anything again until 12 noon the next day.\r\n\r\nThat\u2019s no nibbling on snacks or drinking calorific cappuccinos. Otherwise, you\u2019ll technically break your fast.\r\n

5:2 Method<\/span><\/h4>\r\nOkay, so for the 5:2 method you do have to count calories, because you spend two consecutive days of the week eating 500-600 kcal. But you can eat your usual amount for the rest of the week.\r\n\r\nFor example; say you choose Wednesday and Thursday as your two fasting days. Rather than not eat anything, you\u2019ll only eat 500-600 calories split however you like it.\r\n

Eat-Stop-Eat<\/span><\/h4>\r\nThis is one of the most advanced and popular methods out there. It involves a total fast for 24-hours once or twice during the week.\r\n\r\nSo, to put this into perspective, you could eat your last meal on Wednesday at 8pm and not eat again until 8pm Thursday. If you wanted to do eat-stop-eat twice in one week, you could repeat it Friday or Sunday, for example.\r\n\r\nWhile there are a lot of intermittent fasting methods out there, one isn\u2019t necessarily better than the other. The best method for you will always be one that you can stick to. We recommend trying 16\/8 first as most people find it the easiest to adjust to.<\/strong><\/span>\r\n\r\n\"Intermittent\r\n

Weight Loss & Intermittent Fasting<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nWeight loss is one of the main reasons many women try intermittent fasting. Because, while it isn\u2019t technically a diet, cutting back the hours that you eat is an easy way to reduce how much calories you consume (1).\r\n\r\nYou could almost see it like accidental dieting. You\u2019re not always counting out every macro, but because there are hours in the day where you plan not to eat, you naturally lower how much food you have coming in.\r\n\r\nFor example, say you skip breakfast, which is around 400 kcal. If you carry on eating your usual meals, even if they\u2019re slightly bigger, you\u2019re probably still getting a few hundred less calories than you usually would.\r\n\r\nResearchers say that using IF eating patterns can result in a 3-8% weight loss over 3-24 weeks. When compared to a lot of other standard calorie cutting methods, that\u2019s quite significant (2).\r\n

More than just cutting calories<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nWhen you start to dig deeper though, you find out that intermittent fasting does more than just cut calories. It can actually change your hormones in a way that should boost weight loss.\r\n\r\nAccording two teams of scientists, short-term fasting could increase metabolic rate by 3.6-14% (3)(4). And although these studies looked at fasts that are probably a little longer than the ones you\u2019d do, the findings are still great news for fat loss.\r\n\r\nOne more positive thing about IF is that it doesn\u2019t cause as much muscle loss as cutting calories in the usual way (5). As a result, it could help you keep those hourglass curves, even while lowering your body fat.\r\n

There are still rules for weight loss<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nWait! It seems that there\u2019s still a catch when it comes to using intermittent fasting for weight loss. As good as studies say it is for helping you burn fat, you still have to be sensible.\r\n\r\nYou can only ever lose body fat weight if the calories you eat are lower than the number you use. So, if you can\u2019t help yourself and binge eat during you feeding window, you might still put on weight.\r\n\r\nThe trick seems to be eating pretty much the same way during your eating window as you normally would. You can make the portions slightly bigger, but they shouldn\u2019t be all out splurges. If in doubt, track your macros until you become used to fasting.\r\n\r\nAnother rule is to not break your fast with a sugary donut or any other kind of sweet treat. Doing this sends your blood sugar through the roof and can throw those weight-loss favoring hormones out of line. Try a healthy protein and fat rich meal instead.\r\n\r\nSpeaking of protein, you should do what you can to make sure you\u2019re eating a healthy amount while fasting. Getting between 0.5-0.7g per lbs. of body weight every day will help protect your figure and keep your muscle safe. Check out our guide on the best high-protein snacks<\/a> for recipe ideas!\r\n\r\nTry a clean protein drink if you struggle eating that much. They\u2019re not very high in calories and shouldn\u2019t be too tough on the stomach. See if one helps you hit your targets.\r\n

Side Effects<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nIntermittent fasting isn\u2019t always without side-effects. To help you weigh up the pros and cons, we\u2019ll look at the most common ones here.\r\n

Hunger<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nFirst of all, ask yourself if you ever get hangry. Because as you\u2019d expect, the most reported side-effect from women especially is hunger \u2013 oh no.\r\n\r\nYour body should adjust to your new eating pattern after a few days. And so long as you keep it up, the feelings of hunger you experience should settle.\r\n

Risks for medical conditions<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nWe wouldn\u2019t recommend diving into intermittent fasting if you have a known medical condition. Make sure you book an appointment with your doctor to talk it over with them first.\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019re a woman with a history of eating disorders, has had anorexia, or is underweight, tread carefully. Fasting might not be the best option for you right now, so like we\u2019ve just mentioned, it\u2019s best to speak to a doctor before trying it.\r\n\r\nYou\u2019re advised against using intermittent fasting if you\u2019re trying to conceive or are already pregnant. Similarly, if you\u2019re breast feeding you should also check with your doctor before changing your eating patterns.\r\n\r\nEven if none of the above apply to you, still talk to your doctor about IF if you have diabetes, low blood pressure, or issues regulating blood sugar.\r\n\r\nAll in all, intermittent fasting is regarded as one of the safest weight loss methods out there. Women who haven\u2019t experienced any of the above should be fine to use it if they\u2019re smart.\r\n

Health Benefits & Effectiveness<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nDid you think the benefits of intermittent fasting stop at helping you drop a few pounds?\r\n\r\nIntermittent fasting has also skyrocketed in popularity because of its proposed health benefits.\r\n\r\nWe\u2019re not talking about the obvious bit of lost belly fat either \u2013 although that\u2019s one way to look after your body. More like holistic changes that could lead to a happier, healthier you.\r\n\r\nFirst of all, fasting can cause cells to start their repair process. Part of this is something called autophagy, when cells get rid of old proteins that build up and are no longer useful (5)(6). Imagine it like your body cleaning away old cells to make way for new, healthy ones.\r\n\r\nIntermittent fasting can also cause human growth hormone to increase by up to five times over. According to scientists, this can actually benefit both fat loss and building muscle (7)(8)(9). Yep \u2013 the two things women want for healthy weight loss.\r\n\r\nNext, there\u2019s the added health kick of improved insulin sensitivity. Whenever you fast, your insulin levels naturally drop and your sensitivity to it improves. As a result, your body becomes much better at using body fat for energy (10).\r\n\r\nTo round off these extra health benefits, scientists have found out that IF can even alter gene expression. According to them, intermittent fasting can positively change how well genes associated with disease protection and longevity work (11)(12).\r\n

Should You Do It?<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nNow comes the big question; should you do it?\r\n\r\nThe decision to try intermittent fasting should be down to everything you\u2019ve learned so far. Ask yourself if you\u2019re one of those at-risk women first, and then consider if you could handle those initial days where you might get hungry.\r\n\r\nOn a less health-conscious note, intermittent fasting might be suited to your lifestyle. If you find that you\u2019re constantly on the go and grabbing breakfast is inconvenient at the best of times, why not try IF? Just plan to drop breakfast and free up a little extra time.\r\n\r\nWhen you think about it, eating just two or three larger meals a day rather than the usual six associated with weight loss could be a lot simpler to deal with. Rather than stopping to eat every three hours, you could keep on with your daily tasks.\r\n\r\nPlus, there\u2019s only two or three sets of dishes to do and meals to make \u2013 did someone say extra free time? Intermittent fasting could free up more of your day dedicated to preparing and tidying up after you eat.\r\n\r\nWhat about if you just want to lose weight? Well, looking at all the evidence, intermittent fasting could be a less restrictive way of doing it without constantly cutting calories. The science says it works, and you could find it more enjoyable and easier to track.\r\n\r\nThen there\u2019s the potential to give your health a helping hand. We\u2019ve just looked at the positive impact fasting could have on your body, which might be something you want to experience yourself. If so, you\u2019re a prime candidate to the fast.\r\n\r\n\"Intermittent\r\n

Intermittent fasting for women<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nNo one it completely sure why, but intermittent fasting seems to impact women\u2019s hormones more than men\u2019s.\r\n\r\nSome scientists seem to think it could be down to kisspeptin \u2013 a protein-like molecule used by neurons to communicate. And interestingly, this molecule is extremely sensitive to hormones related hunger.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately, a number of women have reported missing periods while fasting. Also, because fasting women usually eat less protein, estrogen can be affected. Unfortunately, a number of women have reported missing periods while fasting. This is put down to lower protein intake, which can lead to lower estrogen levels.\r\n\r\nAs a result of lower estrogen, some women feel a lot hungrier even though their metabolism can slow down, and their fertility can also be impacted. Once your body thinks it might be starving, your hormones might fall out of line like this.\r\n\r\nNutrition experts say that women should approach intermittent fasting in a gentle, less aggressive way. They should always be checking in with how they feel and look out for warning signs that their health is slipping.\r\n\r\nBottom line \u2013 start slow with small fasts and be careful. If anything starts going wrong, stop immediately.\r\n

FAQs<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nAt this point, you\u2019ve probably got more than a handful of questions about intermittent fasting. Most women usually have all the same things on their mind \u2013 so we\u2019ve gathered all the answers for you.\r\n\r\nHere are the most frequently asked questions about intermittent fasting:\r\n

Can I drink during intermittent fasting?<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nA lot of women want to know if they can still drink during intermittent fasting. The simple answer is yes, but, as you guessed there\u2019s a catch.\r\n\r\nYou can only drink things that are free from calories. That means no frothy coffees full of milk and definitely no fruit juices. Think black coffee, plain tea, and water.\r\n\r\nSome people say you can have a splash of milk in coffee, but that still breaks your fast \u2013 sorry. Even so, black coffee is definitely a favorite among fasters as the caffeine can help blunt hunger.\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s important you stay hydrated throughout the whole day, especially while fasting. Look to drink a minimum of nine glasses of water every single day.\r\n

What can you eat or drink while intermittent fasting?<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nDuring your eating window you can eat or drink all the regular things you\u2019d enjoy as part of your diet. So long as you\u2019re eating a nutritious, well-balanced diet \u2013 you\u2019re all good.\r\n\r\nHowever, when fasting, you shouldn\u2019t be taking on any form of calories. So, that accounts for all foods and drinks with sugar, creamers, milk in etc.\r\n\r\nOne thing you should definitely be aware of is how much protein you\u2019re eating. Make sure you\u2019re getting enough of this essential macro, as it\u2019s important for protecting your feminine muscle and curves.\r\n

Can I take supplements while fasting?<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nYes, you can take supplements while fasting, but some fat-soluble vitamins might be better when taken with food. You should also make sure you\u2019re not taking on calorific supplements like protein shakes during your fast.\r\n\r\nSome fasters like to take branched chain amino acids during their fast to exercise. Technically, this breaks their fast, so what they\u2019re doing is a modified fast.\r\n\r\nMaybe we\u2019re being pedantic \u2013 but we\u2019re here to do things properly, right?\r\n

How much weight can you lose in a month with intermittent fasting?<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nFirst and foremost, weight loss is all relative and every woman will lose weight at a different rate, depending on a huge range of factors.\r\n\r\nOne study looked at alternate day fasting saw healthy participants lose half a pound per week, whereas obese subjects lost two to three pounds (13). But this was using the eat-stop-eat method, which could be too aggressive for women new to fasting.\r\n\r\nNutrition experts say that healthy weight loss is around one percent body weight per week.\r\n\r\nSo, while you could definitely lose more using intermittent fasting, you should still look after your body and try not to go over this amount. Otherwise, you\u2019ll lose muscle and potentially make yourself ill.\r\n\r\n\r\n

How long should I do intermittent fasting to lose weight?<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nReal fat loss doesn\u2019t happen overnight or even over a week. It\u2019s a dedicated journey that often takes months of hard work achieve. There are no quick fixes to achieving your body goals.\r\n\r\nYou should use intermittent fasting for as long as you feel comfortable and healthy. If you find that you\u2019ve got to your target, good job! You can still use IF, just try to eat more healthy, wholesome foods so you can maintain that weight.\r\n\r\nLike we said earlier \u2013 safety first with any kind of weight loss journey. If you start to feel ill or notice a change in your health and hormones, stop straight away. Always put your health and wellbeing above everything else.\r\n

The Bottom Line<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nIntermittent fasting has become one of the fastest moving eating trends today \u2013 no pun intended. Women are finding it an easy fix for their lifestyle and enjoy the freedom it gives them to still eat the foods they love.\r\n\r\nCountless studies have shown IF to live up to the hype too. According to the men and women in white coats, it does more than just help weight loss, but can even make you healthier too.\r\n\r\nHowever, some women don\u2019t always do well with fasting \u2013 especially over longer periods. We recommend trying intermittent fasting in the gentlest way possible to start with. A smaller fast like 12 or 14 hours might be easier to test yourself with first.\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019re struggling with conventional calorie cutting or lead a busy lifestyle, intermittent fasting might be for you. Take all the little details we\u2019ve shown you and see how it could help your journey to faster fat loss.\r\n\r\n \r\n

References<\/h3>\r\n[1] https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7021351\/<\/a>\r\n\r\n[2] https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/21410865<\/a>\r\n\r\n[3] https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/10837292<\/a>\r\n\r\n[4] https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/2186256<\/a>\r\n\r\n[5] https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/24215592<\/a>\r\n\r\n[6] https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3106288\/<\/a>\r\n\r\n[7] https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/1548337<\/a>\r\n\r\n[8] https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/6758355<\/a>\r\n\r\n[9] https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/3127426<\/a>\r\n\r\n[10] https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/24993615<\/a>\r\n\r\n[11] https:\/\/www.annualreviews.org\/doi\/full\/10.1146\/annurev-nutr-071816-064634<\/a>\r\n\r\n[12] https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/10942912.2018.1560312<\/a>\r\n\r\n[13] https:\/\/www.health.harvard.edu\/blog\/eat-only-every-other-day-and-lose-weight-2017053111791c<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a huge chance that someone you know is using intermittent fasting right now. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":6,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-goals","category-lifestyle"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hourglassfit.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hourglassfit.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hourglassfit.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hourglassfit.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hourglassfit.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.hourglassfit.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":570,"href":"https:\/\/www.hourglassfit.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1\/revisions\/570"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hourglassfit.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hourglassfit.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hourglassfit.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hourglassfit.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}